The Photographs of the Children of Esfahan

Parisa Damandan

Approximately half a century after World War II, in the abandoned and dust-filled storage shed of a photography studio in Esfahan, a unique collection of photographs was discovered; with it, searing memories of World War II calamities came alive.

My search for the historical roots of photography in my city of birth led me to old photography studios and into the lives of their photographers. Early in my research, consulting with older photographers, I realized that Sharq Photography Studio on Charbagh Avenue was one of the older studios in the city. The studio was still in operation and was being managed by the sons of the late Abolqassem Jala, the accomplished Esfahani photographer.

Lahestani-ha (Pols)

Both sons, Reza and Ali Jala, were welcoming of my inquiries and provided valuable information about their father. Sharq Photography Studio owed its fame in part to the precision and expertise of Abolqassem Jala in portrait photography and in other parts, to his many years of experience in photojournalism and documentary photography. The results of his efforts, stored on dusty shelves in the abandoned shed behind the studio, were thousands of forgotten glass negatives packed in old boxes bearing names of Kodak, Agfa, Lumière and Gevaert. Each box was carefully marked by the photographer, with information indicating the subject of the photographs as well as their date. Over 20 boxes were labeled, “Lahestani-ha (Pols), 1942-44”.

Abolqassem Jala’s sons explained that their father had taken studio photographs of Pols who had taken refuge in Esfahan during World War II. The photographer could welcome the Children to his studio and made the photography session, a peaceful time of joy for them. He offered his service in an affordable price so that he could photograph Polish children more often.

The boxes included 1218 negatives ranging in size — 4×6; 6×6 and 12×9 centimeters, taken by a Schneider lens and a wooden box camera, resulted in high-definition photographs. The collection included studio portraits of individuals and groups as well as a limited number of group portraits taken outside the studio, in the homes of the Polish refugees. The majority of those appearing in these portraits were children, women and youth. Except for a few older men, or uniformed men, grown males were largely absent from the frame.

More research led to more historical information on their odyssey and their trail to Iran.

Rescued from inhuman land

World War II began with the German attack against Poland. On 23 August 1939, Hitler and Stalin had struck an agreement on the division of Poland. On 1 September the Soviet army crossed the Polish border intent on capturing the eastern parts of the country. Finally, Soviet and German forces encountered one another in the Brest- Litovsk in Poland and divided the country between them. By 29 September, Poland was completely occupied by invading forces. A large number of Polish citizens were transferred to forced labor camps in Germany and Soviet Union.

While the situation of war prisoners and the type of work they were forced into varied in each region of Soviet Union, common rules and regulations guided their living conditions. Minimal food rations were provided in exchange for hard labor. Difficult conditions, harsh work, the deathly cold of Siberia, the burning sun of the East, the melancholy of the taiga, combined with food scarcity and lack of medical care, made the situation unbearable. Every day, a noticeable number of Pols, lost their lives, filling the graveyards.

In the last days of August 1941, the Polish prisoners heard some good news. The exiled Polish Prime Minister, General Wladyslaw Sikorski, signed an agreement with the Soviet government, which included provisions calling for the expedited release of the Polish prisoners.

Given the fact that the Soviets were at war with Germany, and given the minimal food supplies for the Army, the Soviets agreed to relocate the Pols and their Army to Iran. Under the direction of General Anders, these refugees were brought to Iran in two turns, in April and August of 1942. In total, 116,131 refugees which included nearly 13,000 children under the age of fourteen, entered Iran.

The Pols were transferred by boat from the port of Krasnovodsk in Soviet Union to the port of Anzali in Iran, where they were quarantined in housing two kilometers from the port. Many of them were suffering from illnesses such as typhoid, malaria and pellagra. They also suffered from lack of sufficient vitamins and the negative effects brought about by this condition.

The Polish citizens faced warm welcomes from Iranians, while on their way to their final destinations in Iran.

1740 orphaned children from orphanages in Ashghabad went to Mashad and 675 of them traveled from Mashad to Zahedan and then to India. The rest were transferred to Tehran and Esfahan. Between 1942 and 1945, more than 2,600 children were transferred to Esfahan.

Like in heaven…

On 10 April 1942, the first group of children accompanied by two nuns, and a few other caretakers and instructors, arrived in Esfahan on several buses. The boys and girls looked similar, as all their heads were shaved and they wore military uniforms and boots. Some of the children were ill with typhoid or diphtheria, and were immediately transferred to hospital. A group of them were assigned residences in House No. 1, located in the garden of the governor, Prince Sarem od-Doleh. Girls aged over seven, took up residence in House No. 2, in the convent of French Sisters. Boys over seven were quartered in House No. 3, in the Church of the Swiss Lazarist Fathers. Another group of young children were assigned residences with the English Protestant missionaries.

At first, separating brothers and sisters was a difficult task, as they believed their separation to be permanent. But the children were promised weekly visits on Sundays. The few mothers who were working in these homes also visited with their children on a weekly basis. Most men had either lost their lives in the Soviet Union or were transferred to the war front. On occasions a few traveling to their destinations would go through Esfahan and visit with their children.

After the painful experience of the Soviet Union, Esfahan felt like a heaven. It provided the Polish children with shelter and security. Good weather, ample sun, beautiful gardens, natural vegetation and a peaceful environment, was what the children needed in order to regain their health. They had clean bedding for sleep, good food, and the sick received appropriate treatment. Slowly the children became familiar with their instructors and the safe environment of the city. They became more agreeable. The same children, who on their arrival, and in fear of starvation, would sneak extra bread from cafeterias and hide it under their pillows, slowly began to give up their habit, trusting that the next day would bring with it enough food.

In order to make the children feel more assimilated they called their residences “home” instead of “shelter.” In Almost all the houses included a school as well. The instructors worked hard to raise children who were honest and good citizens, who would be ready to return to and serve their country.

Poland in Esfahan

Schools began operation only a few days after the first group of children arrived in Esfahan. At first there were not enough books and supplies for all, instead the children would write on stones or any available surface. But soon, wooden benches were built, which the students used for their classroom and also for eating. As conditions improved, all the schools were provided with school books. The books were printed in Palestine and delivered to Polish students in Iran. The teaching of the Polish language was emphasized. In some of the schools, English, Latin and even some Persian were taught to students. The geography of Poland and Iran, history, religion, biology, botany, mathematics, technical skills such as drawing patterns, sewing and handicrafts, including traditional Iranian handicrafts such as tooling on copper and silver, and rug weaving, were all subjects of study which were offered to students at higher levels. Fourteen girls in House No. 17 were trained in rug weaving under the supervision of local artisans.

Additionally, sufficient time was allotted for children to take part in scouting, sports, group singing of anthems, and drawing. The refugees had several clubs for meetings and gatherings, information sharing, and for social and cultural activities. The English and Polish Club and the Teacher’s Association in Jolfa provided these refugees with access to radio, a library, newspapers and magazines such as Parade, White Eagle, Polish People in Iran and Ourselves. Additionally, meetings, exhibits, films and playing music were made possible at these venues. One could claim that the “Poland of Esfahan” was in fact an independent state within Iran.

The Polish children seldom left their residences, but on occasions, along with their instructors, they would visit historic sites around the city. Esfahan, with its majestic architecture, its gardens, palaces, mosques, schools and beautiful squares was fascinating and charming for the children.  Naghsh-e Jahan Square, Jami’ Mosque, Menar Jonban, Atashgah Mountain, Soffeh Mountain, and Zayandeh Rood River were locations which they visited. In the sidewalks along the streets of these historic sites, the children could see citizens of Esfahan, the artisans and artists working at their craft, and become familiar with the city they lived in.

Although the neighborhood were Polish children lived in were different from each other, most lived their lives behind high walls which separated them from the outside world, in a Polish environment. In these homes, they slowly began to take on a sense of life and security. Deep friendships blossomed and made them members of a large family.

Esfahan – a place that gave hope

Nevertheless, the Polish children were in Esfahan for only a few years. Finally, the day of departure arrived. In 1943 and 1944, Polish children left Esfahan in large groups, for India, Palestine, Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand, as well as other destinations in Africa, via the Persian Gulf.

On 9 May 1945 World War II ended and all the remaining Polish refugees left Iran. With the slow departure of the Polish children many of the schools too were closed in February. The last group of the Polish children residing in Esfahan left the city on 12 October 1945. The mass departure of these children affected their peers back in Esfahan, as they lost their best friends.

They settled in new countries, got married, and had children of their own. But time and distance were no match for their deep spiritual connection. Eventually, these polish children grew old and retired, and some passed away. But those who are still alive remain in contact with one another.

The hands of fate changed the course of their lives forever, allowing them to escape the hell of taigas, the steppes of Kazakhstan, the deserts of Turkmenistan and Siberia, and to be taken to a green and flourishing oasis in the heart of the desert — this paradise known as Esfahan. They found an opportunity to rest and to some extent forget the bitterness of their experiences. In the tranquility of this city, they regained their lost strength and found hope in life and the promise of a better future.

The unique photographs of Polish children of Esfahan, taken by Abolqasem Jala, not only provide an insight into a chapter in the history of World War II, but are of particular aesthetic value.

The considerable number of group portraits represents the strong bond between the Polish Children, and the importance of recording it in front of the camera. Abolqasem Jala, an expert in taking group portraits, could show and stress this bond clearly, by choosing the right compositions and postures. Friends, sisters and brothers, teachers and groups of classmates posed hand in hand, resting hand on one’s shoulder, arm in arm, or heads bent slightly towards each other.

Although outside the photography studio the bitter realities of war and migration persisted, looking at these photographs, it appears as if the essence of life has, even if for an instant, pushed violence and ugliness to the side and recorded another reality on glass negatives. For only a few seconds the war disappears behind dust and fog, guns stop roaring, and polonaise is heard as young girls begin to dance in the rigid silence of the photograph.

About the Photographer

Abolqasem Jala was born in Esfahan in 1915. He and his two brothers, Ebrahim and Hassan, learned photography from their older brother Mohammad-Khan, who had lived in Russia at the height of World War I and returned to Iran with the latest in dental equipment and necessary chemical solutions to start a small photography studio. Enchanted with the new medium, the younger brothers applied themselves to photography. They learned the techniques of taking pictures and developing them on paper. He opened the Markazi Studio until he was accepted to the school of dentistry of the University of Tehran later in 1932 and left the studio to his brothers. Shortly after, Abolqasem decided to open his own studio. Shargh Studio was on a prime location – Charbagh Avenue, and soon people from every part of the province would flock to Sharq to take their pictures. Abolqasem kept abreast of political events and photographed events and happenings around town. His photographs appeared in various publications, including the Post of Tehran newspaper, and were commissioned by various institutions, including the Bureau of Publication and Publicity of Esfahan. He has taken valuable photographs of yarn spinning factories and workers’ demonstrations. He passed away in 1979.

Parisa Damandan is an Iranian photographer, photography historian and curator. Author of the album: The Children of Esfahan. Polish Refugees in Iran. Portrait Photographs of Abolqasem Jala 1942–1945, Nazar 2010.

The interheadings in the article are from the editors.

References:

Eds. Irena Stankiewicz, Danuta Kamieniecka, Jadwiga Howells. Isfahan, City of Polish Children, Association of Former Pupils of Polish Schools, Isfahan and Lebanon, printed by Veritas Foundation Publication Centre: London, 2001;

Krystyna Skwarko. The Invited. Millwood Press: New Zealand, 1974;

Nasrin Alavi. We Are Iran. Portobello Books: London, 2005;

National Library and Archives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Microfilms 1-49 / 17/213;

Nahid Newspaper, 29/1/1321 (18 April 1942).